Giuseppe Tornatore’s (Cinema Paradiso) Baarìa wouldn’t have been my first (or second or third) choice for an Italian movie to make it to America, but I won’t complain. It’s just that, there are so many movies coming out of Italy that are better, and I’m sure that many people will think that they are all like this. It’s not horrible, it’s just boring and maudlin. But it’s pretty; in fact, I compared it to a Barilla Pasta commercial in MY REVIEW OF Baarìa. If you love Italian movies, as do I, you won’t want to miss it – rent it from Netflix, or buy it from Amazon on DVD or Blu-ray. Put it in your Netflix queue now, and pre-order from Amazon.
The autobiographical Baaria is the story of three generations in Bagheria, the Sicilian village where Tornatore was born, and “Baaria” is Sicilian slang for Bagheria. It’s got a huge and impressive cast, including Francesco Scianna, Raoul Bova, and Luigi LoCascio.
Here’s the trailer – it will make you want to go to Sicily, if nothing else.
I Love Italian Everything 